Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire have installed 37 new international boundary pillars along their shared border, completing the first phase of a joint land boundary reaffirmation exercise. The project covers 150 kilometres and aims to clarify the boundary line between the two countries.
The 37 pillars include one Terminus Pillar, 12 Main Pillars, 20 Intermediate Pillars, and four Border Crossing Pillars. The Terminus Pillar was commissioned at New Town in Ghana’s Jomoro Municipality, Western Region. It marks where the land boundary ends and the maritime boundary between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire begins. Another ceremony took place at Diby in Côte d’Ivoire, near Yaakase in Ghana’s Enchi area, where a Main Pillar that also functions as a Border Crossing Pillar (IBP48) was unveiled.
The Ghana Boundary Commission supervised the project, with the 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces acting as the contractor. Funding came from the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the African Union Border Programme.
Major General Anthony Ntem, Commissioner General of the Ghana Boundary Commission, spoke at both events. He said the new pillars support the African Union’s vision of a Borderless Africa, which means having clearly defined boundaries that encourage free movement and cooperation. “A Borderless Africa does not mean an Africa without clearly defined boundaries. Rather, it is an Africa in which clearly defined and mutually respected boundaries facilitate the free movement of people, goods and services, encourage legitimate trade and interaction, and create the certainty necessary for deeper regional integration,” he said.
He emphasised that boundaries should connect rather than divide and that clarity over territorial jurisdiction helps cooperation from local communities to government levels. “The strength of a united and integrated Africa depends on certainty, trust and cooperation among sovereign states, which clearly defined and mutually respected boundaries, established through delimitation, demarcation and reaffirmation, provide,” Major General Ntem added.
Dr Diakalidia Konate, Executive Secretary of Côte d’Ivoire’s National Boundary Commission, said the reaffirmation exercise aims to make the international boundary line more visible. He thanked the Joint Land Boundary Technical and Sub-Technical Committees for their work during Phase 1 and urged them to maintain the same effort for Phase 2, which is set to begin later this year.
German Ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire, Matthias Veltin, reaffirmed Germany’s support for African integration initiatives. He said Germany works with the African Union Border Programme through GIZ to help African countries demarcate and manage their borders. “GIZ’s support in this respect aims to prevent conflict along the borders,” he said, adding that African boundaries should be points of connection and collaboration rather than separation.
Wilbert Petty Brentum, Western North Regional Minister, spoke on behalf of Ghana’s Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah. He said the pillars represent Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire’s joint effort to uphold commitments made in 1964 by African states to maintain inherited boundaries. He said Ghana prioritises boundary reaffirmation because it gives the government clarity to govern responsibly and inclusively.
Mr Brentum urged local leaders and residents of border communities to protect the pillars and promote peace and good neighbourliness between the two countries.
The completion of Phase 1 clears the way for Phase 2, which will cover another 400 kilometres of the boundary under Côte d’Ivoire’s National Boundary Commission. The installation of these pillars is one of the practical steps taken to reduce disputes and support cooperation along the Ghana-Côte d’Ivoire border.
According to Joy Online.
